Need ideas for Garden Route/CPT Area
 

We're off to SA (!) at the end of August and have everything set excerpt for the last two days. So far, we have:

4 nights: Londolozi Safari Lodge (which, by the way, has anyone heard of comments about this lodge?)
4 nights: Capetown (Kensington Place)
2 nights: Franschoek (Les Quartiers)

We then have 2 nights (three days) before flying out of Capetown. Any ideas where to drive to or stay? Hermanus? Plettenburg?

Thanks very much!

Hello Stone,

I haven't stayed at the Safari Lodge, but I have stayed at Londolozi (at Bateleur Camp and Tree Camp). There are more details on the 'URGENT: Safari in S. Africa?' thread.

While in Botswana I met some people who had stayed at Safari Lodge as well as some of the other Londoz camps. Their opinion was that Safari Lodge was much more homely and informal than the others, and it was their favourite out of the Londoz camps. You can also see some pictures in the Londolozi section of www.ccafrica.com. For some reason Safari Lodge is never as popular as the other camsp, which means you may have a very personalised experience since it's less likely to be full.

The guiding is the same quality as that at the other Londoz camps as they all use the same pool of rangers and trackers. However, because you will be in the south of the reserve rather than the north, you may spend more time in different areas.

Cheers,
Julian

Kensington Place is wonderful, we stayed there in 99 and loved it. I would recommend a drive up the west coast to Langebaan and even as far as a little fishing village called Paternoster, a very restful place, there is a small hotel there which we could not get into when we went.
Hermanus is very nice and not far from Cape Town or Franschoek. The garden route is supposed to be lovely, we did stay with relatives at Plett and found it to be a nice beach resort but not much more.

Stone2662

In terms of the Cape Town leg of your stay I would suggest that you re-arrange your itinerary somewhat.

My suggestion would be that you spend two, or at a push 3 nights, in Cape Town and 2 or possibly only one night (because it will be Winter) in Franschhoek.

If you do the above you will then be able to have 4 nights or five days for a Garden Route journey. This trip becomes a viability whereas with 2 nights the Garden Route is NOT viable. What I am saying is that your extra 1 or 2 nights in Cape Town are really going to go to make yoiur extra 2 nights after Cape Town go to waste as you will not be left with too many options with regard to your 3 free days after Cape Town.

My suggestion overall would be:

3 Nights at Kensington Place

2 Nights in Franschhoek

Travel to Knysna. Overnight in Knynsa for two nights using the village as a pivot to explore the Garden Route inclusive of Plettenberg Bay.

Travel back to Cape Town and sleep over in Hermanus so as to be able to enjoy the whales and the quaint village.

Travel back to Cape Town on your last day (75 minutes from Hermanus) so as to catch your plane to your next destination.

The above would be the way that I would plan the journey so as to obtain optimal time out of my stay in the Cape Town + Garden Route regions.

Hope this helps and if you need further advice simply write to this board where I am sure that someone, inclusive of my own self, would be able to help you further.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

thanks very much for the responses, jasher, napa, and selwyn. not sure if we can shift the dates by a night, but will definitely try. this definitely makes sense now that i've been reading up on the garden route.